Improvement in gas-meters



J. MORGAN.

GAS-METER. No.171,407. Patented Dec. 21,1875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MORGAN, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAS-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,407. dated December 21, 1875; application filed November 29, 1875.

termed, do not usually seek to obtain gas absolutely without registration; that would be a fraud that could not escape detection, because, in an ordinary wet-meter, properly constructed, it should not be possible to float the inlet-valve after abstracting the quantity of water required to unseal the center opening, without tilting the meter to such an angle as would make the fraud at once apparent. They generally confine themselves, therefore, to the abstraction of water enough to retard the running of the registering part of the meterfrom twenty to thirty per cent.--which can be done (after abstracting a certain quantity of water) by raising the back of the meter about three-quarters of an inch, and may escape detection for a long time.

To prevent this fraud, I combine with the drum a stop or catch, automatically thrown into action or position by the forward tilting of the meter, to positively arrest the rotation of the drum. The device I propose to use for the purpose is a pendulum stop on the back of the meter, which, when the meter is tilted, swings forward so as to lie in the path of a projection or shoulder on the rear of the re 'volving drum, whose rotation is thus positively arrested so long as the meter is tilted.

This preferred arrangement is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a gas-meter constructed in accordance with my said improvements, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

The drawing represents only so much of a meter as is required to illustrate my invention. The inlet-valve and float and registering devices are not shown.

A is the case, and B is the drum, of a wetmeter of the usual construction. On the back of the drum I fix one or more projections, a, and on the inside of the rear face of the case I hang a stop rod or bar, I), on a pivot, c, in such a position that if swung forward on its pivot its base or lower end will lie directly in the path of the projections on the drum.

The bar I) thus becomes a pendulum, which, when the meter is tilted forward will hang in such position that it will come in contact with one of the projections on the revolving drum, and, consequently, positively arrest the movement of the latter. Inasmuch as the center opening is unsealed there will be no' flow of gas, and none can be obtained until the meter is set upright. So long as the center opening remains sealed, the result of action of the pendulum is, indeed, twofold. The revolution of the drum is prevented, and, consequently, the gas already in the compartments is confined there and cannot get out; and the increased pressure thus thrown upon the water inside the hood and compartments, and in the front of the meter, where the float is located, so depresses the level as to close the inletvalve itself, and prevent any gas at all from entering the meter.

of the meter to positively arrest the rotation of the drum, substantially as set forth.

2. The pendulous stop or bar applied to the meter-case, as described, in combination with the meter wheel or drum, and one or more projections or shoulders on the back of the same for joint operation, as shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed I my name this 9th day of November, 1875.

JAMES MORGANF Witnesses:

THEOBR. FORSTALL, ALOEE J. KER. 

